1874 Melbourne Cup

Annual horse race in Melbourne, Victoria April 2022 November 2021 1874 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Flemington Racecourse 5 November 1874 2 miles Haricot 3:37.5 16/1 Paddy Piggott Sam Harding Andrew Chirnside Turf 75,000 1873 1875 The 1874 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 5 November 1874. This year was the fourteenth running of the Melbourne Cup. Wild weather threatened in the lead-up to the race, with 21 runners paying the final acceptance fees. There had been 79 runners initially enter into the race in June.Melbourne Races https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196749809 7 January 2026 Evening Journal 2 June 1874 Adelaide, South Australia 2 Break of Day was expected to do well should the ground remain soft or wet, while Goldsborough and The Diver were not expected to do well in those conditions. Previous year's winning trainer James Wilson had two runners, with King of the Ring expected to be the better horse. With a light weight, Haricot was expected to feature during the race, but was not fancied by many judges at the two-mile distance. Despite the threatened conditions, John Tait's Goldsborough started a short-priced favourite. William Wilson, younger son of trainer James Wilson, was chosen to ride King of the Ring, a year after winning the race on board Don Juan. Four horses were scratched before the race day began — Papapa, Blue Peter, Menindie, and The Hook. After morning showers, the weather turned perfect for the day of the race, with 18 runners starting the race.News of the Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/18291998 7 January 2026 The Age 6 November 1874 Melbourne, Victoria 2 Goldsborough and King of the Ring were the favoured runners. Haricot, bred in Victoria by Andrew Chirnside at Werribee bolted clear of the field to win the Cup. Haricot was near the lead from almost the start, getting in front of the field just beyond the first turn, increasing its lead to about 20 lengths down the back straight. The Diver and Protos went off in pursuit before the final turn to try to cut the advantage built up by Haricot, eventually Protos finished four lengths behind the winner, with The Diver third.VRC Spring Meeting - The Cup Day, November 5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/4768829 7 January 2026 Australian Town and Country Journal 14 November 1874 Sydney, New South Wales 29-30 The win surprised many at the racecourse, as it was supposed that Haricot could not sustain the pace set for the entire two miles. Haricot had previously won a race in Warrnambool as a three-year-old, and won the 1874 Ballarat Handicap. The horse had placed second in the Melbourne Stakes behind Dagworth in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup. Haricot's margin of victory was the largest winning margin in the race since Archer's consecutive wins. It was estimated that 75,000 people attended the racecourse — at the time the largest attendance for the Melbourne Cup. The Victoria Racing Club collected £6000 in revenue from the race meeting.The Melbourne Cup, 1874 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/52896093 7 January 2026 Launceston Examiner 12 November 1874 Launceston, Tasmania 3 Full results This is the list of placegetters for the 1874 Melbourne Cup.1871 to 1880 Melbourne Cup Winners http://www.races.com.au/melbourne-cup/melbourne-cup-history/past-winners/1871-to-1880-melbourne-cup/#1874 races com au 12 November 2021THE VRC Spring Meeting - The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5882149/240552 7 January 2026 The Argus 5 November 1874 Melbourne, Victoria 6Cavanough Maurice The Melbourne Cup 1978 0727004859 445 81874 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1874-melbourne-cup/ millersguide.identika.com.au 7 January 2026 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220323110945/http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1874-melbourne-cup/ 23 March 2022Melbourne Cup Winners - 1861-1880 https://www.vrc.com.au/racing/melbourne-cup-winners-honour-roll/1861-1880/ Victoria Racing Club 5 November 2025Second (Cup) Day - Thursday, Nov. 5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139124644/11289544 7 January 2026 The Australasian 7 November 1874 Melbourne, Victoria 10-11The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5882253/240569 7 January 2026 The Argus 6 November 1874 Melbourne, Victoria 5-6 PlaceHorseAgeGenderJockeyWeightTrainerOwnerOddsMargin1Haricot 4y gPaddy Piggott 6 st 7 lb kg 1 on Sam Harding Andrew Chirnside16/1 4 lengths2Protos 7y gG. Arthur 8 st 9 lb kg 1 on James Wilson James Wilson20/1 Neck3The Diver (late Dolphin) 4y hGreville 6 st 10 lb kg 1 on William E. Dakin Mr C. DublinDiver An assumed alias of Charles Madden Lloyd6/1 4King of the Ring 5y hWilliam Wilson 8 st 7 lb kg 1 on James Wilson James Wilson5/1 5Break of Day 5y hJ. Ryan 6 st 5 lb kg 1 on John Coldham7/1 6King Tom 5y hSamuel Davis 7 st 0 lb kg 1 on Mr P. Lewis20/1 7Goldsborough 4y hJimmy Ashworth 7 st 2 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait2/1 fav. Favourite8Fitz-Yattendon 4y hM. Thompson 7 st 10 lb kg 1 on Hercules Robinson10/1 9The Arrow 5y hH. Grubb 8 st 0 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait10/1 10After Dark (late Wait-A-Bit) Aged gWatson 7 st 8 lb kg 1 onAfterDark Was supposed to carry 7st 7lb Mr J. Brewer50/1 11Dagworth 6y hGeorge Donnelly 10 st 0 lb kg 1 on Etienne de Mestre Etienne de Mestre16/1 12Lapidist 4y hJohnny Day 7 st 11 lb kg 1 on William Filgate William Filgate20/1 13 Lurline NZL 5y mR. Mason 8 st 11 lb kg 1 on Mr J. Watt10/1 Speculation 4y hDuggan 7 st 6 lb kg 1 on Hercules Robinson20/1 Goshawk 4y hMusgrave 7 st 4 lb kg 1 on Mr S.P. Winter50/1 Gloom 4y gJ. Nolan 8 st 6 lb kg 1 on William Filgate William Filgate20/1 Kettledrum 4y hCleary 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on Frank Leng50/1 Cleolite 4y m Scrivener 5 st 12 lb kg 1 on Mr A. Williamson20/1 SCR ScratchedBlue Peter5y h 7 st 7 lb kg 1 onMr J. BrewerSCR ScratchedMountaineer4y g 7 st 5 lb kg 1 onMr H.J. BowlerSCR ScratchedFriendless5y h 7 st 0 lb kg 1 onMr J. Iliffe Prizemoney First prize £1140, second prize £50, third prize £20. See also Horses Sports Australia Melbourne Cup List of Melbourne Cup winners Victoria Racing Club Notes References External links 1874 Melbourne Cup footyjumpers.com 1874 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Category:19th century in Melbourne Category:1870s in Melbourne